The Rocky fire is the largest of several fires currently burning in California. It has consumed 68,000 acres, or an area of a little more than 106 square miles, forcing thousands of residents from their homes. It has burned 91 structures including 39 homes in a very rural area near Clearlake that encompasses parts of Lake, Yolo and Colusa Counties. Since the fire began last Wednesday, about 3,500 firefighters have battled it. As of 7 a.m. on Aug. 6, it was 40 percent contained and the cause of the blaze was unknown.

I arrived on the scene on Tuesday to take photos for The Times. I’d watched the fire burn through steep and extremely rugged terrain for the preceding few days. The fire was not blazing at its greatest intensity when I arrived; the firefighters got a bit of a break from the cooler weather.

This fire has been far more accessible to observers than most because it’s burned in an area that is easily accessible by nearby Highways 20 and 16. So it’s much easier for members of the media to observe — and photograph — the fires. This said, the flames have spread during the last few days and the fire now burns in areas that are far less accessible. The likely result: fewer dramatic photos than those that have been appearing during the last few days.

Cal Fire gives media members wide access to the California fires — we are presumed to know something about what we are doing and, of course, bear the risk involved. Officials have warned us to stay out of the firefighters’ way and most of us do. There remains, however, a constant risk that any one of us could become a casualty of the fire. We are all mindful that none of us have special immunity from erratic fire behavior.

We have to wear what is called Nomex clothing, which is fire resistant. This means that if an ember flies our way or any one of us is hit by ash, we will not immediately be set on fire. And, if the clothing does catch fire, it is made of a material that will not stick to your skin. Nomex clothing is expensive — about $500 per suit — and at this time of the year, fire season, I carry it in my car as I never know when I’ll be called to cover a new conflagration. (Fire officials won’t let you enter a fire area unless you have protective clothing and a helmet; also you’d be crazy to go near raging flames without it.) Cal Fire conducts yearly training sessions that acquaint the news media with risks involved in fire coverage.

It is frighteningly dry out there. In a wild-land fire, everything does not, in fact, burn; debris and underbrush remain and can reignite.

When I arrived on Tuesday, officials were mopping up, making sure that the hot spots — areas in which the fire was still smoldering near stumps and underground roots — didn’t reignite. What it really means is that they are starting to get control of the fire.

The main thing about this fire is that it has burned so erratically, defying firefighters’ expectations at every turn. While covering previous fires, I have stood in the midst of the flames, wondering whether I should be there at all; it is entirely natural to be overtaken by sheer panic and to rush from the flames too scared to think straight. By the time I got to this fire, however, the flames had been contained.

On my first day here, I actually got close to the fire: I was watching some firefighters hosing down a hot spot; as I knelt down to get a different angle I could feel the heat of the fire burning under ground. It was so hot I could kneel for maybe only a minute, without it burning. It’s very deceptive; the flames are all out and it doesn’t look hot. But as soon as the firefighters douse the site with water, smoke and steam roar up.

It makes for a dramatic picture.

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